How to Increase the Productivity of Your Employees
We all know by now that providing your employees with a good work-life balance is vital for productivity; however, what else can you do to increase employee productivity?
Employee Productivity – what can you improve to ensure your employees deliver efficiently?
There are numerous areas where you can focus on improvements to see a progression in productivity and motivation of staff. Here are a few ways you can implement this:
Work Environment
By providing your staff with a calm and balanced environment to work in, you can increase productivity; experts have suggested that using blue and green tones around the office environment reflect these qualities and are shown to boost productivity and creativity.
Maximising natural light can also support an increase in productivity, with studies showing that exposure to natural light improves sleep and results in rested, productive employees.
Bringing nature inside with plants throughout the office or allowing your team to decorate their workspaces can increase creativity and allow employees to feel more comfortable in their area.
An ergonomic workplace design will support employees’ health and overall ability to maintain productivity, preventing carpal tunnel syndrome and eye strain.
Another way to increase overall employee efficiency is to consider the different areas within the workplace. By creating a relaxing casual space for employees to lunch and socialise, you’re encouraging them to take proper breaks throughout the day and return to their workstation refreshed.
Employee Wellness
When we take care of ourselves by exercising, eating healthy and getting enough sleep, we can show up to work feeling energised and alert for the day ahead.
Showing appreciation for your staff and their achievements is another way to boost productivity; recognition is a great motivator and will build your team’s self-belief and self-worth. Offering self-care courses which enable employees to learn coping strategies for stress, anxiety and time management is a great way to inject a core strength for your team.
Launching employee wellness programmes or incentivising them with team-building activities like walking or cycling, for example, is a great way to boost your team. Stocking up on healthy snacks will also provide a much-needed brain boost throughout the day.
Get Clear on Goals
Goals are necessary for your team to grow and evolve; it can be unnerving to leave your business in the hands of your employees; however, constant supervision is demoralising and will lead to a loss of confidence in their skills.
By managing expectations and setting precise requirements for them to achieve what they need independently, you can save time and promote autonomy within your staff.
Determining clear goals for the business and setting individual goals that suit the development stage of individuals allows employees to feel a purpose in what they do and feel like they are part of the bigger picture.
Staff Training
Training is crucial for motivation and knowledge; if employees feel they are not fully trained, they will not feel they can deliver 100%. This results in high turnover as staff will look for jobs elsewhere that can provide fulfilment and proper training and development.
By providing your team with training and coaching, you can increase their morale, expertise, and career development, which all feed into a better workforce that can excel in their roles.
Facilitating Time
It is incredible how much time you waste with day-to-day office activities that traditionally seem necessary. For instance, is the meeting the whole office attends once or multiple times daily essential and informative for every staff member? Or could this be reduced to just a few key employees the information relates to, and they can then feed back to the team if needed?
Studies have shown that the average office worker spends 28% of their time reading and answering emails. To avoid overspending on time, make it best practice to block out time for emails instead of replying on demand throughout the day; this can save significant amounts of time and reduce the impacts of external stressors on employees.
Work Tools
Always provide the proper tools and resources so everyone can complete their work to the highest level. Slow technology will hinder productivity and lead to demotivation; you can increase speed, motivation, and capability by ensuring that you have the right technology for your employee’s needs.
Completing your role successfully is nearly unattainable when you’re not armed with the right tools, equipment, and resources; you should arm yourself and your team with everything needed to perform their duties for the best employee productivity.
Collaboration
Encouraging collaboration among your team and strengthening cooperation by scheduling brainstorming sessions that allow the team to highlight what is and isn’t working gives you a true insight into what your employees need to improve their working capacity.
When things look bleak, it can be challenging to motivate your staff and simply telling them to be more productive will not be practical nor successful. Productive employees are the determining factor in the success of your business; if productivity is high, your business will thrive. You must ensure a work environment that promotes productivity and be the driving force behind these improvements.
Create a Workplace Bursting With Employee Productivity Today
These suggestions to increase your employee productivity might seem counterintuitive; however, it is known that an engaged and content workforce is consistently more productive.
You don’t need to spend heaps of cash to achieve a happy workforce; it’s about understanding your employees’ needs and promoting a productive workplace culture.